Jet Lag
by neo-chef
Summary: How will Catherine deal with her developing feelings for her younger colleague. Inspired by 'Jet Lag' by Joss Stone. CS pairing. Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Jet Lag 1

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. The song which inspired this is "Jet Lag" by Joss Stone. One of my favourite vocalists, I suggest that you all look into it. This idea has been floating around in my head for a while, and its my first try at C/S fiction, so if it looks crap and disjointed, that's why. Feedback is always welcome.

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The feeling of exhaustion one feels after travelling across time zones, know as jet lag, is nothing the to the graveyard shift at Las Vegas C.S.I. headquarters. Starting work in the late afternoon and finishing work as the sun is rising throws your body clock right out the window.

Catherine Willows slumped on the bench in the locker room after her shift. It had been a long week and she was looking forward to nothing more than a glass of wine as she relaxed in the bath. Her mind wandered as she ran her hands through her hair, attempting to comb it somewhat, as she thought of the happenings of the last few weeks.

The case of Ashley Thomas had been a hard one on all the CSIs, especially Catherine and her brunette colleague, Sara Sidle. Ashley Thomas had been beaten and tortured at the hands of the people you should be able to trust, her parents. What made it worse that at the tender age of 13, a young life had been cut tragically short.

Throughout the case, whether collecting evidence, examining it or interviewing people related the case, Sara had been unusually quiet. She was a quiet person to begin with, small talk being relatively brief during work time, but even with Greg, the spiky haired lab tech-turned-CSI, she had been standoffish and reserved.

Grissom had attempted to explain his decision to put the two female CSIs on the case by saying that they would empathise with the victim, a statement that drew a shocked expression from Cath and a look of odium from Sara.

"Typical," mumbled Sara as she spun around and stalked out of the break room.

"Gris, you can't expect us to immediately feel for the victim just because she is female," explained Cath, "that's awfully presumptuous, almost bordering on chauvinism," finished Cath as she looked around the rest of the assembled CSI crew. Nick was overly interested in his and Warrick's case file, Warrick gave a lop sided smile and a shrug of his shoulders. She looked back to Grissom who gave his trademark "I don't deal with people well, and this is not a discussion" look and turned out of the break room.

"Greg is helping you out on this one," Grissom threw over his shoulder as he exited the room. Catherine looked over at the youngest and newest member of the night crew. He might be immature but, in his move to fieldwork, and to impress his superiors, had always approached his case with a professionalism that the others didn't realise he possessed.

"Come on Greg," called Cath as she left the break room, off in search of Sara.

That had been the start of an…interesting few weeks for Cath. While the only females CSIs on the nightshift weren't 'friends' in the strictest sense of the word, they were generally civil on their cases. Cath had tried to cut Sara some slack after the case of her ex-husband and the women seemed to have reached an unofficial truce.

Cath collected her belongings and stood up from the bench to head home to relax. Nearing the door, she was nearly bowled over by a whirlwind with brown hair. Sara flew into the locker room, unaware that she almost collected Cath, stepping up to the closest locker drew her fist back and punched the locker door, leaving a sizeable dent. She collapsed to the bench, nursing her now swollen knuckles.

"I need to get out of here… it's the last time I try to help that man," muttered Sara, dejected as her head hung looking at the floor.

"You OK Sara?" tentatively asked Catherine as she walked back towards the bench. Sara's head snapped up, finally realising that she wasn't alone in the room. Brown eyes, so full emotion one moment, quickly clouded over as they met Cath's blue ones.

"I'm fine," was the clipped reply from the younger CSI. Sara stood to walk from the room when Cath's hand caught her arm.

"If you ever want to talk about anything Sara," started Cath before Sara pulled her arm from the gentle grasp.

"No, I'm fine," muttered Sara as she stormed out of the room.

Cath stood stunned, looking at the door to the locker room. She shook her head and continued out to her car to head home. Cath had been battling with her thoughts regarding the younger female CSI of late. While her previous occupation of a dancer had exposed her to lots that life had to offer, she had dabbled with both men and women, before settling down with Eddie. In the recent months since his death, her dating scene was decidedly quiet, struggling with her job and her daughter Lindsay left her little time to explore her sexual side.

Her bisexuality wasn't something she kept expressly hidden, some of her colleagues knew about it. Warrick, of course, knew and he was his general easy-going self. Anything that made Cath happy was OK by him. Grissom was aware about it, but as usual, didn't voice his opinion one-way or the other.

The younger CSI had always intrigued Cath and Sara was the only one of the nightshift crew who still sat on the outside of the group, generally refusing to go to many of the breakfast dates attended by the rest of the group. Despite their animosity towards each other on occasion, Cath would have preferred that she and Sara were friends. Or more… those words bounced around in her head whenever Cath saw Sara working, an intense looked of focus etched of the young woman's face. Bent over a lab bench, jeans tight across those legs that seem to go forever, strong back muscles flexing lightly under her top… 'No,' Cath thought. Despite her best efforts at extending the olive branch to Sara, she had always been knocked back by the younger woman.

Cath's feelings on Sara swirled around in her head as she hopped into her Tahoe. Did she want to persevere with a relationship with the younger CSI? She had never seen and reciprocation of her feelings by Sara. Was Sara even interested in women? The only person Catherine knew that Sara had dated since she had come to Las Vegas was Hank, and she knew had that ended. The few beers they had shared when Cath had invited Sara out was the closest thing they had come to a 'date'. With a rapidly approaching headache from her musings, Cath started the engine and pulled out into the street and turned in the direction of home.

Flicking through the radio, searching for something other than annoying DJ talk or ads, she stopped on a soulful voice…

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Little angels

Whisper softly

While my heart melts

For you and I'll see

Only sunshine

Only moonlight

For the first time its real

And the higher you take me

The more that you make me

Feel so hazy

Tell me what this means

I got jet lag and I never even left the ground

See it's like that every time you come around

Oh, I'm so hung over and I never even touched a drop

See I can't get enough

This must be love

How the time flies

When you're near me

Get those butterflies

Inside and I'll be

Where the stars shine

Where the birds fly

'Till the next time you're mine

And the higher you take me

The more that you make me

Feel so hazy

Tell me what this means

I got jet lag and I never even left the ground

See it's like that every time you come around

Oh, I'm so hung over and I never even touched a drop

See I can't get enough

This must be love

Whenever you're with me

It feels like gravity

Ain't got no hold on me

Tell me what does this mean

This must be love

Love

I got jet lag and I never even left the ground

And it's like that every time you come around

I'm so hung over and I never even touched one drop

See I got jet lag

Baby don't cha know

You really really got it goin' on

Baby don't cha know

You really really got it goin' on

Baby don't cha know

You really really got it goin' on

Baby don't you know

Baby don't you know

I got jet lag and I never even left the ground

See it's like that every time you come around

Oh, I'm so hung over and I never even touched a drop

I never even left the ground

I never no no

Jet lag, jet leg

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Cath didn't know why she stopped on that station and by the time the song finished she was pulling up in her driveway. Sitting staring at the front of her house, she thought about that song. Humming the tune as she pulled the keys from the ignition the walked up into her house dropping her handbag on the couch, preparing to enjoy her bath before her daughter arrived home.

Climbing up the stairs with weary legs, she stripped off as she turned the taps on, adjusting them to provide the right temperature. Listening to the water splash into the bath tub, she looked at herself in the mirror. In the past, men and women had fought over this body, jostling to be closest, as it stalked across the stage. Now in her forties, Cath, while still proud of her body, wondered if it still held that same appeal.

Dropping the thoughts as paranoia she slipped into the warm waters as she mused on the past weeks and a certain brunette CSI.

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TO BE CONTINUED?

Let me know if I should continue…


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Jet Lag 2

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. This story was meant to be a one or two part piece but it looks like a created something much larger. I will try and update every few days.

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Catherine pulled up our the front of her sisters place, readying herself for the bundle of energy know as Lindsay. Right on cue the mini-Willows emerged from the front of the house and ran down towards the car.

"Morning baby, did you have fun at you Aunt's house," greeted Cath as her daughter buckled into the back.

"Yeah mum, it was great. I got to watch movies with Jeremy while Aunt Nancy made macaroni and cheese," replied her daughter she waved bye to her Aunt who was standing in the doorway of her home. With a wave from Cath they pulled out heading to Lindsay's school.

After dropping Lindsay at school, Cath made her way back home with the aim of getting a few hours sleep before collecting her daughter in the afternoon before shift. Absentmindedly humming the tune she heard this morning on her way home she thought about her and Sara's relationship since she arrived in Las Vegas.

Cath's original animosity had been bred out of protection for Warrick, who while making a grievous mistake, had punished himself enough in guilt and heartache. When Sara had been brought into investigate the green eyed CSI, Cath didn't look kindly on the outsider on her turf. While Sara had worked hard since then, developing relationships with all the other CSIs on the graveyard shift. She had patched things up with Warrick, had become friendly to most of the lab techs, become the unwilling recipient of a crush from Greg but had never gotten over the rocky start with the older female CSI.

On brief occasions she saw the Sara she expected outside of work, a smile across her face that revealed that cute gap between her front teeth, shoulders set and her back straight, as she drew herself to her full height. But mostly she saw the hunched, defeated look the younger CSI wore like a mask, face always guarded with emotion, something dancing behind her chocolate brown eyes.

Cath pulled up in front of her house, locking her car she wearily trudged into her home. A blinking light caught her eye as she put her keys and handbag on the coffee table in the living room. She reached across and hit the play button the answering machine.

"Hi…Cath, its Sara. I'm sorry I snapped at you this morning. I'd had a rough shift and you caught me at the wrong time," Cath's ears pricked as she heard the familiar voice, "I didn't mean to rush out, I'll see you at work tonight… please forgive me click."

The last few words almost sounded like a child, nearly whisper quiet. Catherine had never heard Sara's voice like that, she sounded lost and unsure of herself, something Cath never attributed to Sara. Nor had Sara ever asked for forgiveness after one of their disputes. She contemplated ringing the younger CSI back but decided against it, she was tired and she was still unsure of how to deal with her younger counterpart.

Climbing the stairs she made a mental note to try and talk more with Sara, maybe outside of work, try and develop the relationship that the two women never had. Slipping under the covers after setting her alarm, Cath was asleep moments after her head hit the pillow.

Gentle fingers floated along her side, seeming dancing across the supple flesh. A pair of lips pressed against her stomach and proceeded to climb her torso, stopping every few inches to resume contact. Fingernails grazed along the underside of her breasts, hands moving to support their weight. The lips had now made it to the valley between her breasts. Stopping momentarily, they then seemed to move in two directions at once, shifting to wrap gently around each nipple. Vibrations seem to emanate from the lips, a tune that seemed familiar to her, the tune from the car ride home. A moan escaped her lips as she looked down into a pair of chocolate brown eyes, recognisable to her, "Saraaaaa…" a half moan, half drawn out breath, escaped from mouth as she awoke with a start.

After waking up knotted up in her own sheets, drenched in sweat, her dream playing over and over vividly in her mind, Cath showered and jumped in the car to collect Lindsay from school. She couldn't shake the vision of those eyes, so deep and soulful, but there was something behind them, something Cath couldn't place. Dismissing it for now as the whirlwind of energy known as Lindsay Willows flew into the back seat.

"Afternoon sweety, how was school today?" enquired Catherine as her daughter buckled into the back seat.

"Great mum, I won an award in class for the maths test from yesterday," started Linds as she continued to chatter away, Catherine nodding and asking questions as they approached home. Pulling up, the younger Willows raced into the house and collapsed in front of the t.v.

"Not until you've done your homework, Lindsay," Catherine called entering the house. This elicited a groan from the girl as she made an exaggerated effort of dragging her school bag up into her room as Catherine started to prepare dinner.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

A.N. I know it's a short chapter, but I have a better idea where this story is going now. Look for the next chapter soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Jet Lag 3

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. Thanks to all for the great feedback. Its good to know that my first story has been so well received.

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After the endless chatter of a young child over the dinner table, Catherine had rounded Lindsay up and dropped her off at Nancy's place. Catherine had spent the better part of the afternoon debating her feelings for Sara. On the way to CSI headquarters, hundreds of thoughts flew around her head. Do I like Sara more than a friend? Does she like me at all? Are we even friends? Is she even interested in women? How do I talk about it with her?...

With all these thoughts running through her mind, she parked her Tahoe and stepped into the warm evening air. Walking across the parking lot towards the front doors, the tune she heard on the radio that morning flowing in her head, she jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Bloody hell War, don't sneak up on me like that," squealed Cath as she spun around to lock eyes with her green eyed counterpart.

With a chuckle, Warrick replied, "I didn't Cath. I called you name twice. You were off in your own little world. A penny for your thoughts?"

'You can have them for free if you help me figure out Sara.'

"Its nothing Warrick, just something I dreamt about last night. No biggie," replied strawberry blonde CSI as Warrick pulled the door open for her. "I'm just heading to locker room and my office. I see you in the break room."

"Ok Cath, I grab you a cup of coffee."

As she pushed the door to the locker room open, she heard a locker door slam shut. Rounding the row of lockers she saw the object of her dreams, with her head resting against the cool metal. "Hey Sara." The younger CSI's head snapped up at the voice. 'She's going give herself whiplash if she keeps this up,' thought Cath.

"Cath," came out as a choked squeal, "how are you? Sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to snap at you." Words were flying at a mile-a-minute from Sara's mouth.

"I'm fine, and it's ok. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," replied Cath as she laid her hand on Sara's arm. At the physical contact, Sara jumped back, slamming into the lockers. A quick stuttered apology and the brunette fled the room. 'She can barely stand to be in the same room as me, let alone be touched by me,' thought Cath as she put her belongings in her locker and headed to her office.

Sitting behind her desk, staring at the pile of case files in her in-box, she thought about the latest revelation in her 'relationship' with Sara. The last 2 occasions where Cath had tried to talk to Sara ended in the younger woman fleeing the room at speed, after a gentle hand from Catherine. She was now even more confused in her feelings about her younger workmate. 'Yes, I like her, does she like me? Now I'm not so sure.'

Catherine's musings were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Cath you in here, we're waiting for you in the breakroom," a light southern drawl beckoned the senior CSI.

"Yeah Nicky, I'm on my way. Just got sidetracked with some stuff. I'm on my way," called Cath as she grabbed some of her paperwork and headed for the breakroom.

"Hey Gil, sorry I'm late," greeted Cath as she walked into the break room. Sara was sitting on one of the lounges, trying to be engrossed on a forensic journal. Cath took the offered cup of coffee from Warrick and sat down at the table. She watched Sara's eyes flick up to meet hers and back to the page again. Cath sighed and looked up to her boss.

"Okay, quiet one tonight everyone, only the one new case at the moment. B&E out in Henderson. Looks easy. Nick take Greg and head out there," delegated Grissom as he passed the slip the Texan, "Everyone else, catch up on paperwork or any open cases you still have." A collective groan flowed from the rest of the night shift as Grissom turned and left the room, followed by Nick and Greg leaving Cath, Warrick and Sara sitting in the break room.

"Well ladies, I have a stack of paperwork to finish off, I'll leave you to it." Sara's shoulder tensed at Warrick's parting words, something not missed by Catherine. As Cath stood from the table to walk around to where Sara was sitting on the couch, the younger CSI jumped up.

"I have heaps of paperwork too, I should probably get that done as well," Sara muttered as she walked hastily from the room before Cath could even open her mouth. Cath slumped to the couch, in the space previously occupied by Sara, feeling the warmth in the leather. The start of the chorus of that song flowed through her head, thinking it fitted Sara to a 'T'.

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I got jet lag and I never even left the ground

See it's like that every time you come around

Cath was feeling exhausted trying to understand the younger CSI, hoping that the end of the chorus fit too.

See I can't get enough

This must be love

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Did she love the younger CSI? Her thoughts were dominated by the chocolate eyed CSI, she was sure it was beyond friendship. How much effort was she willing to put in to win Sara over. Then and there, she made a decision to talk to her colleague before the end of shift, as she walked to her office to finish whatever paperwork she had left.

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TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Jet Lag 4

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. Sorry everyone for the long delay in posting this, its been hectic with work recently. I will try and post more regularly.

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Part 4

Cath's eyes were in the process of leaking out through her head as she stared, unblinking, at the page in front of her. She wasn't even sure what she was looking at anymore. Glancing at the clock, only three hours had passed since her last meeting with Sara in the break room. Rolling her head, feeling the muscles bunched at the base of her skull, she figured coffee was in order.

Stretching her arms over her head as she left her office, she felt the kinks pop out of her back. Walking through the aquarium like structure of the Crime Lab she saw Sara standing in Greg's lab, laughing, with a big smile on her face. 'It looks good on her,' thought Catherine as she rounded the corner of the lab to see if she could take advantage of Sara's good mood.

Greeted with Greg's wildly gesticulating arms and the end of Sara's sentence. "…She wouldn't think that and I'm not sure."

"Who wouldn't think what, guys?" Cath immediately noticed the change in Sara's posture at the sound of her voice. Shoulders slumped forward and her head fell.

"Sara here was telling me what she thinks…" The smile faded from his face as his sentence came to a halt at what was a firey glare coming from the brunette.

"Its personal business Cath," retorted Sara as she turned and strode out of the room.

Questioning eyes turned to Greg. "What is going on with Sara? She can barely stand to be in the room with me recently," questioned Catherine of the spikey haired CSI.

"I'm not sure I can tell you Cath. Sara confided in me and I'm not going to betray her trust." The youngest member of the CSI team was more mature than he let on sometimes. "She is worried about how to deal with something, that's all I will tell you. If you want more then you will have to go to Sara yourself."

"Ok, fair enough. I might just do that," said Catherine as she wondered how to talk to Sara without her younger colleague clamming up. As she turned and headed for the break room for her much needed coffee, she head Greg pipe up.

"Please be kind to her." A quick look back at Greg's almost expressionless face, a rare sight, and she walked round the corner, almost collecting Nick as he headed to see Greg.

"Sorry Catherine, almost knocked you over," apologised Nick as he held onto Cath's upper arms, keeping her steady.

Momentarily flustered, Cath found her feet and smoothed her top down. "Not a problem Nicky, my mind was in other places." With a quick pat on the shoulder she walked around the Texan and into the break room to pour herself a coffee and ponder the meaning of Greg's last statement.

'Why wouldn't I be kind to her,' thought Cath. 'Probably because you have barely shown her a kind moment since she came here years ago,' a voice echoed from the back of her head. Sitting down on one of the couches with her coffee, Cath realised she could see right through the lab to where Sara was working, an advantage of glass walls.

To watch the brunette unguarded, in her "natural environment" so-to-speak, was intriguing to Catherine. Sara seemed move fluidly around her lab space, knowing where everything was, working with practiced ease. None of the close guarded emotions were held in, a smile graced her delicate lips when a piece of evidence was found, a frown creased her brow when something didn't fit into one of her current theories.

Cath thought over the last couple of days, the initial meeting in the locker room, the phone call for forgiveness, this morning's run-in in the locker room and the latest part of the saga in Greg's lab. Sara seemed uninhibited and free until in Catherine's presence, where she would shut down and shrink into her shell.

Walking back to her office, determined to accomplish something work related, she resumed finishing off her paper work.

Looking at the clock on her desk, the delicate fingers showed thirty minutes left in the shift. A quiet one all round, only one more case had come in and Warrick had taken it solo. Catherine's paperwork stack now a shadow of it's former self, the strawberry blonde decided now was the time to talk to Sara. Tidying her desk up, she left her office in search of the brunette.

Finding in the same lab as a few hours ago, she leant against the door frame watching Sara work, worried about what might happen if she startled Sara. After a couple of minutes of Sara looking at a piece of evidence alternating in scribbling down notes on a pad to her right, the younger woman stretched her body up in an effort to unkink her back. Watching the lithe body of her colleague stretch out, her shirt riding up to reveal a thin strip of her taught midriff, made Catherine's breath catch. At this small noise Sara turned to see Catherine staring at her stomach.

Unsure as to why Catherine was in her lab, let alone openly staring at her body, confused Sara slightly. "Anything I can help you with Catherine," queried Sara.

'Plenty of things,' thought Cath, her eyes rising to meet Sara's slightly confused, slightly panicked look. "Sorry to startle you Sara," started Catherine, taking a small step into the lab, "I was wondering if you wanted to come to breakfast with me this morning, maybe talk about why you tried to kill that locker yesterday." Cath looked down at the slightly swollen knuckles of Sara's right hand.

Covering her swollen hand, Sara quickly replied, "I'd rather not talk about it." As Catherine moved closer to her in the lab, Sara took a step back, bumping into the layout bench. Trapped, her body language instantly closed off, shoulders slumped forward, body tensed as if expecting some unseen attack. At this realisation, Cath stopped and took a step backwards.

"Sorry Sara, I didn't mean to intrude, I just thought we could have a pleasant friendly breakfast," said Cath, holding her hands as if to surrender.

"Well you are intruding Catherine. I've got to go," answered Sara, a little harsher than she meant. Sweeping past Cath into the hall, she then disappeared into the rest of the Crime Lab. Sighing to herself, Cath walked slowly back to her office and collected her things, shut down her computer and headed home.

All through the drive, she tried to make sense of Sara's reaction to her and her invitation of breakfast. Unable to find a reason to her younger co-worker behaviour, she pulled into her driveway and turned the ignition off. Grabbing her bag she headed into the house looking for nothing more than to collapse on her bed. Making it as far as the couch, she slumped down closing her eyes, trying to cease the endless thoughts bouncing around in her head. Feeling her body starting to drift into the land of sweet slumber, her quiet reverie broken by an almost inaudible knocking at her front door.

Dragging her tired body off the lounge she walked to the door, wondering who would be calling at this hour. Opening the door to revealed a tall, skinny brunette hold two cups of coffee. "Sara, what are you doing here?"

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TO BE CONTINED…

A.N. Thanks to anyone who has hung around this long waiting for the next part. I promise they will come sooner this time. My eternal thanks to my avid readers.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Jet Lag 5

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. Sorry for the slight delay in posting this chapter. It required a substantial rewrite to keep the flowing in the direction I intended. Thanks in advance for reading.

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Part 5

"Sara, what are you doing here?"

The brunette stared unblinking at the cups of coffee in her hands. The look of defeat gracing Sara's slender frame broke Catherine's heart. Pushing the door wider she beckoned Sara into her house. "Come sit down on the lounge Sara," instructed Cath as she closed and locked her front door. Catherine wasn't aware the Sara knew where she lived, so her presence here, while not unwelcome, was a bit of a surprise. Especially at 6:30 in the morning.

The younger of the two women sat in the corner of the lounge, eyes still fixated at the warm beverages in her hands. "What's wrong, please talk to me," encouraged Catherine as she sat a short distance from Sara. She was still aware of what physical contact had done for her in their previous meetings. She looked down to the cups of coffee gripped in Sara's hands. They started to shake lightly. Not wanting to spend the day cleaning coffee out of her carpet, Cath slowly reached up and took the cups from Sara, placing them on the coffee table.

Turning her attention back to Sara, she watched a single tear track its salty path down Sara's right cheek. Unused to seeing this much emotion from her younger co-worker, especially to the point of crying, Catherine was momentarily stunned. Tentatively reaching out, she brushed the tear away, her thumb gently gliding across the soft skin beneath.

"Sara, please say something. You're starting to worry me."

The reply came out barely above a whisper. "I can't do this anymore Cath."

"Can't do what sweety?" said Catherine, edging across the couch to be closer to Sara.

"This," answered Sara, waving her hands in the air between them, "I can't keep running away from this."

"What is this Sara," replied Cath, gesturing between them. "Maybe you should start from the beginning." Seeing momentary deliberation from Sara, she wondered if the younger woman would flee from her presence like before. Sara was never one to talk much about herself, and seeing her in this situation, Catherine wondered if Sara would say anything at all.

With a shaky voice Sara began to talk. "The other day, before you saw me in the locker room, I was in the break room with Greg and in one of his usual juvenile moments was talking about the new lab-tech he is interested in. I was trying to dissuade him talking about the downfalls of office romances. And Greg never one to be put off such a situation asked me if there was anyone I was interested in the lab."

Catherine had started to run her fingers gently along Sara's thigh in an effort to relax her and keep talking. In truth, the feeling of Catherine's fingers were proving a great distraction to Sara, causing her mind to waver off the story. Grasping Catherine's hand in her own she forged on.

"Greg kept badgering me with names and I kept telling him to mind his own business. Thinking he would give up I figured if I said yes to one name he would accept that and leave me alone. When he said your name and I answered yes on instinct, I instantly froze up. Realising what I had said, I fled the room and that's when I ended up in the break room."

"Earlier in Greg's lab, he had apologised for basically blind-siding me into answering and promised not to tell anyone about what I had done. He had taken it upon himself, given that he found out first, to get me to do something about it." Cath's mind was reeling with all this new information. This is the most Sara had ever talked about herself in all the years they had worked together. And she knew how hard it must have been for the younger woman to bare so much of her soul. "When you came into the lab, you startled me and that's why I lashed out and stormed out of the room."

It was all starting to come together for Catherine now. She now understood Greg's parting statement, 'be kind to her.' Having the feelings out in the open for Sara would be a new, and daunting, thing, especially when they were dragged out without her consent. Knowing how private Sara was, it told Cath a lot about the woman sitting before her. The courage it took to come and confront her feelings. Especially when she was unsure about how the other party would react.

It had been an emotionally draining morning for Sara. Working herself up to come to Catherine's house to explain her actions over the last couple of days. Without realising, tears had started to flow down her cheeks, leaving damn imprints on her soft cheeks.

'Here goes Cath, the $64,000 question.'

In a quiet voice, Cath asked, "Do you have feelings for me Sara?"

Brown eyes met blue. Tears trickling down the face of the younger woman. Sara's head dropped, as if ashamed of what her answer would be. She couldn't look into the eyes of the woman she had had feelings for, in case it was the answer she dreaded. With trepidation she answered, "yes."

That one word made Catherine's heart swell. She struggled not to sweep her younger co-worker up in her arms. Instead, she placed a finger under Sara's chin, lifting her eyes to meet her own. "Good, so I'm not the only one."

Sara's eyes went wide. "You…you have feelings for me too?

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TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Jet Lag 6

Author: neo-chef

Pairing: Catherine/Sara

Rating: PG for now, will progress later

Spoilers: anything is fair game

Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere

Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…

A.N. Thanks for all the great feedback, its makes writing that much more enjoyable. Answering some of the feedback I received for the last chapter. There is no conspiracy, us authors aren't trying to kill you, but a little insanity never hurt anyone and if we didn't keep you wanting more, where's the incentive to keep reading. Now on with the story.

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Part 6

"You…you have feelings for me too?"

Sara jumped up from the couch and started to furiously pace around the room, muttering under her breath. Catherine, shocked at the sudden movement, watched the younger woman walk back and forth in her living room. As quickly as she had started, Sara paused and turned to Catherine.

"How long?"

"A while," answered Catherine. "Its only recently though, that it has become apparent to me. I've always noticed you at work. Despite your constant attempts at trying to hide, you always draw my attention when you walk into a room." A small smile graced Catherine's lips as she reflected on what drew her to the woman standing before her.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" asked Sara as she came back to sit next Catherine on the couch. "You never struck me as the type to hold off from doing something. You're always so assertive."

"Probably for the same reason you didn't say anything. I was scared. I've dated women before but I've never been drawn to someone like I've been to you." Catherine slid closer to Sara on the couch. "You are a very intriguing person. By hiding away, you encouraged me to learn more about you. And from what I know you, which unfortunately isn't a lot, you are a very perplexing person."

Sara looked at Cath, trying to take in what she was saying. "I still don't know why anyone like you would be interested in me."

"What do you mean someone like me?" enquired Cath.

Gesturing towards Catherine, Sara continued. "Someone like you. Beautiful, popular, smart. You are basically the complete opposite to me."

Catherine shook her head at Sara's lack of self confidence. "Sara, you are incredibly beautiful. You have an amazing body, legs that seem to go forever, probably the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen and the cutest smile when you show the gap in your teeth." Cath wrapped her hand in Sara's and continued. "You are smart, definitely more so than me. You have your masters from Harvard and Berkley and probably the smartest person in the lab, close to knocking Grissom of his perch. And popularity isn't everything," said Cath, with a wicked smirk. "It just means I have to share you with less people."

A blush rose up Sara cheeks at implication behind Catherine's last statement. She had never considered in her wildest dreams that Catherine would find her attractive. Now she was sitting in her living room listen to Catherine kick over all of her misconceptions about herself. Given that she had never thought this would ever transpire between her and Cath, she now didn't know what to do. In all of her planning for this morning, she had never thought of this eventuality.

"What happens now?" Sara asked in a quite voice.

"What would you like to happen?" Catherine's confidence at this situation wasn't riding high either. She had never believed Sara would be sitting here like this. "We can take it as slow as you like. But I have to know something from the start."

Now uncertain as to what the strawberry blonde would ask, she replied, "Ok."

"Is this a one time thing for you, or do you want something more because I've come to the conclusion that I couldn't experience you once and not have you again. You mean too much to me already. If it's going to happen, I want it all or nothing "

Taken aback by Catherine's honesty, and given her experience in past relationships, Sara was momentarily shocked into silence. After thinking it over, well in her mind there was nothing really to think about, she answered, "I want it all."

Catherine released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She wasn't sure that Sara wouldn't get gun-shy again and run away. Her heart swelled with the knowledge that Sara wanted a relationship with her.

"Fantastic," Catherine said standing from the couch. Holding her hand out to the younger woman she continued, "come on, I'm taking you for that breakfast."

With a smile from Sara they walked out the front door, hands joined. Coffee, now rapidly cooling, forgotten on the table.

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TO BE CONTINUED?

A.N. It seems to wrap up nicely here, but I can't do that without some feedback from you guys. Do you want to see them continue?


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